Author: On Common Ground News

Congressman Hank Johnson hosted his small business Think Tank to connect more than 100 small business owners with federal resources. Held at Georgia Piedmont Technical College campus in Clarkston, the Sept. 18 event included one-on-one sessions, panel discussions and a working lunch roundtable. The event was the culmination of a series of small business roundtables hosted by Johnson this summer throughout the Fourth Congressional district that were held to support the small business community and offer innovative ways to access capital. “We know that small businesses are the engines of job growth in our communities, so I…

RUTH A. WILSON, MBA SUPERIOR AND STATE COURT CLERK Rockdale Judicial Circuit P.O Box 937 Conyers, Georgia 30012 770- 278-7925 FAX 770-278-8908 www.RockdaleClerk.Com The Rockdale County Grand Jury will make a re-appointment of one Active Member, one Alternate Member and appoint three Alternate Members to the Board of Equalization during the October 2017 Term.

The Mayor and City Council for the City of Stonecrest will hold public hearings on the SPLOST : September 16th   10:00am to 12:00pm     Stonecrest Library September 18th   6:00pm to 8:00pm            Stonecrest library September 19th   7:00pm to 9:00pm           Lou Walker Center September 20th   6:00pm to 8:00pm           Stonecrest Library September 21st    10:00am to 12:00pm     Stonecrest Library September 21st     6:00pm to 8:00pm        Big Miller Grove Address: Stonecrest Library – 3120 Klondike Road, Stonecrest, GA. Lou Walker Center – 2538 Panola Road, Stonecrest, GA. Big Miller Grove – 3800 Big Miller Grove Way, Stonecrest, GA.

Crews at the Stonecrest Command Center set up transformers and other equipment needed to restore power to homes and business in DeKalb County. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCGNews DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond has declared a local state of emergency in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The tropical storm that followed Irma caused widespread damage throughout DeKalb as she left Florida and hit Georgia on Monday, Sept. 11. Thurmond said DeKalb had more power outages than any other county in the metro area as trees fell on power lines and areas were flooded by heavy rain. Thurmond’s declaration enabled DeKalb to…

The Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) will present its second annual “Dining in the Dark” fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 1, 4 p.m., at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, 800 Spring Street NW, Atlanta. Dining in the Dark is a unique event designed to raise awareness about vision loss, with all proceeds benefiting CVI. Tickets are available to the public. Guests will experience a sumptuous three-course meal served in complete darkness. Dinner will be preceded by a reception during which guests will gain insights on fully engaging all of their senses to talk, sit and eat in the…

The City of Atlanta has launched the city’s first ever “Smart” street. Officials rolled out the North Avenue Smart Corridor Project in a ceremony held on Sept. 14 at Ponce City Market. The North Avenue Smart Corridor, funded by the Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond, is now the most connected corridor in the state of Georgia. Officials say the new technology deploys adaptive traffic signals that change based on what is happening, eliminating stops and reducing wait times. They say the Surtrac adaptive signal system could reduce commute times by 25 percent along North Avenue, which carries more than 29,000 vehicles…

The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department will host its 15th Annual Fire Safety Festival on Oct. 7, noon to 4 p.m., at Northlake Mall, 4800 Briarcliff Road N.E. Atlanta. The festival will feature hands-on activities, a DJ, rides, a teen driving obstacle course, CPR training and touch a fire truck display. There will be face painting, caricature portraits and snacks provided.

The 23rd annual Charles B. Eberhart Memorial Golf Classic raised a record $210,000 in corporate sponsorships to support much-needed renovations to DeKalb Medical’s surgical suites. Nearly 170 golfers participated in the event, which was hosted by the DeKalb Medical Foundation Monday, Aug. 28, Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek. Organizers for the tournament were grateful for the generous support of the event sponsors, including Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, and BakerHostetler, who served as the tournament’s Title Sponsors. American Medical Response (AMR) supported this event for the third consecutive year, serving as the tournament’s Titanium Sponsor; and EPIC Response and Medline…

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Georgia set a record in August for total jobs, surpassing 4.5 million for the first time. Butler said other key indicators such as new unemployment claims, increasing workforce and the total number of employed residents showed Georgia’s economy continues to be strong.  “The August numbers show Georgia’s economy and outlook for employment remains healthy,” said Butler. “This is a great time to live, work and invest in Georgia.” The August unemployment rate was unchanged from July at 4.7 percent. That compares favorably to last August when the rate was 5.3 percent. From July to…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and the City Council have announced several scheduled community meetings to discuss the one-cent, Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum slated to go before DeKalb County voters in November. The meetings will give residents and other stakeholders the opportunity to voice their support or opposition to the SPLOST. At the meetings, attendees also will be able to suggest capital improvements and projects for the city’s portion of the SPLOST proceeds. “It is really important that people attend so that they can be educated about the SPLOST referendum before they go to the polls,” said…